1959 Hitmakers
A group called The Falcons would have 1 hit this year- a song called “You’re So Fine” (peaked at #17). The lead singer for this group was Joe Subbs, the brother of Levi Stubbs who was the lead singer of The Four Tops. Jan & Dean would score 1 hit this year-“Baby Talk” (peaked at #10). The Virtues were an instrumental group that would score 1 hit this year-“The Guitar Boogie Shuffle” (peaked at #5).
Homer & Jethro would earn themselves the nickname of “America’s Song Butchers”. They would do parodies of some of the biggest hits of their day. Their only Top 40 hit this year was their parody of the big hit by Johnny Horton called “The Battle Of New Orleans”. Their hit was called “The Battle Of Kookamonga” (peaked at #14). The Impalas would score only 1 Top 40 hit this year, but it was a big one-“Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)”, a song that peaked at #2. Frank Guzzo was born on August 4, 1939 in Gretna, Louisiana. We would know him as Frankie Ford and his only hit this year was “Sea Cruise” (peaked at #14).
Eunice Wayman was born in Tryon, South Carolina on February 21, 1933 and she would score 1 hit this year and it was from the musical called “Porgy & Bess”. We would know her as Nina Simone and her big hit was “I Loves You Porgy” (peaked at #18). Jerry Keller would only have 1 Top 40 hit in his career and it would come this year-“Here Comes Summer”(peaked at #14). Sammy Turner would score 2 hits this year, his biggest was a remake of a 1949 hit by Sammy Kaye-“Lavender Blue” (peaked at #3).
Stonewall Jackson was born on November 6, 1932 in Emerson, North Carolina. He would score 1 hit this year-“Waterloo” (peaked at #4). Ruth Lee Jones was an R & B legend-we would know her as Dinah Washington. She would score 2 hits this year-her biggest was “What A Difference A Day Makes” (peaked at #8). Our next performer had the nickname of “the divine one”. She was Sarah Vaughan and her biggest hit this year was “Broken-Hearted Melody” (peaked at #7).
Toni Fisher would score only 1 hit this year-“The Big Hurt” (peaked at #3). Paul Evans would also score 1 hit this year and it would be called “(Seven Little Girls) Siting In The Back Seat” (peaked at #9). Our next performer was born on January 29, 1927 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia-his name was Ivo Robic. His only hit would come this year-“Morgen” (peaked at#13).
Edward Breitenberger was born on July 30, 1933 in New York City, New York. We would know him as Edd “Kookie” Byrnes. He would be one of the stars on the TV show called “77 Sunset Strip”. His only hit would come this year-“Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)”. This song would peak at #4 (he was accompanied on this song by Connie Stevens who just wanted his comb). James Ercolani was a singer and an actor-we would know him as James Darren. In 1959 he would have 2 hits that would just miss the Billboard Top 40-“Gidet” (#41) and
“Angel Face” (#47). Ronnie Hawkins was born on January 10, 1935 in Huntsville, Arkansas. He would have 2 hits this year-his biggest was “Mary Lou”(#26) and his other hit was “Forty Days” (#45).
Skip and Flip would score 1 hit this year-“It Was I” (#11). Skip was Clyde Battin and Flip was Gary Paxson (next year Gary would form The Hollywood Argyles and have a #1 hit with “Alley Oop”). Gary Troxel, Barbara Ellis and Gretchen Christopher would form The Fleetwoods. They would score 3 hits this year, including 2 #1 records-“Come Softly To Me” (#1 for 4 weeks) and “Mr. Blue” (#1 for 1 week). The Passions were a Doo Wop group that would feature the lead voice of Joey Gallagher-their only hit this year was “Just To Be With You” (#69).
Thomas Wayne Perkins would score 1 hit this year-we would know him as Thomas Wayne. Thomas Wayne & The De Lons would record “Tragedy” (#5). Carl Dobkins Jr. would score 3 hits this year, but only 1 would enter the Billboard Top 40. Carl Dobkins Jr. would peak at #3 in the country with “My Heart Is An Open Book”. The Fireflies were a group that came from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, featuring the lead voice of Ritchie Adams. Their only Billboard Top 40 hit would come this year-“You Were Mine” (#21).
Geraldin Pasquale was only 13 years old when she had her only hit. We would know her as Dodie Stevens and this year she would climb the nation’s charts with “Tan Shoes And Pink Shoelaces” (#3). Fabiano Forte would score 6 hits this year-we would know him as Fabian. Fabian’s biggest hit this year was “Tiger” (#3). Bobby Rydell would score 2 hits this year-his biggest was “We Got Love” (#6)
The Skyliners were a vocal group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They would score 2 hits this year-their biggest was “Since I Don’t Have You” (#12). The Browns were a family trio from Sparkman, Arkansas-they would consist of Jim Edward Brown and his sisters Maxine & Bonnie Brown. They had 2 hits this year-their biggest was “The Three Bells” (#1 for 4 weeks). The Mystics were a Doo Wop group from Brooklyn, New York, scoring 1 Top 40 hit this year-“Hushabye” (#20).
Larry Hall was born June 30, 1940 in Hamlett, Ohio. His only Billboard Top 40 hit would come in 1959- “Sandy” (#15). Johnny Horton would score only 1 hit this year, but it was a big hit-“Battle Of New Orleans” (#1 for 6 weeks). Wilbert Harrison would also have 1 hit this yeaar that would rise to the top of the charts- “Kansas City” (#1 for 2 weeks).
Dee Clark would score 3 hits this year-his biggest was “Just Keep It Up” (#18). Marv Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 15, 1938. He would have 2 Top 40 hits this year-his biggest was “You Got What It Takes” (#10). The Drifters were a vocal group that had been around since the early 1950’s. They had various changes in the group and now in 1959 they would consist of Ben E King, Charlie Thomas, Doc Green and Elsbearry Hobbs. They would score 3 hits this year and Ben E King would be their lead singer-their biggest hit was “There Goes My Baby” (#2 for 1 week).
